Vehicle-wheel.



PATENTED MAR. 27, 1906.

2 SHBETS SfiEET 1.

E E j n A PATENTED MAR. 2'7, 1906.

D H... M m MW HE 0 m I APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

unrru STATES rarnn'r enrich.

VEHICLE-WHEEL,

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Eatented March 27, 1906.

Application filed February 23,1905. Serial No. 246,824.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN C. SOHLEIQHER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Mount Vernon, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehiole-Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to vehicle-wheels, particularly to a wheel adapted to serve as an autlomobilawheel or as a wheel for heavy ve- It has for its object to provide awheel comprising twoside wheels rigidly connected toether so as to leave a space between their ellies, said wheels having continuous tires on their jellies, sectional linked outer tires and cushions interposed between the inner and outer tires, and an intermediate wheel yieldablysupported between the other wheels and having means for regulating the yielding of said wheel.

It has for a further object to provide a V wheel of the character set forth embodyin 1 view both side edges Wheel 4.

wheel as a' whole, which is advantages in point of strength, durability 1 and simplicity, andinexpensiveness of construe tion.

the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional of my device; Fig. 2, a side view; Fig. 3, a fragmentary side viewof the wheel, showing the wheel-tallies and tires. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan viewshowin portions of the tires of the wheel Fig. 5, aview of a modified form of tire for a single wheel, showing .the rail-engaging notches on thereof. D v Corresponding arts in all the figures illusg-tl'ating my inven ion are designated by the same feierence characters. .Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the constructed of two side wheels 2 and 3 and an intermediate '}Each side wheel is provided with the usual hub 5, felly 6, and spokes 7, the ends of the hubs abutting so that their bores 8- will be continuous and a space being left between 'the follies. The wheels are securely connected together by blocks 9, inter osed between adjacent spokes of the whee s and held in place by straps 11 and 12, embracing the kicks and having their ends connected together by bolts 13 and nuts 14. Each side agmentary plan wheel is provided with a steel tire 15, secured to the telly, its edges projecting beyond the felly, an outer tire 16 comprising inverted-U- shaped steel sections, the downwardly-proj ecting side portions of said sections embracing the telly and projecting below the tire 15, and links 17 are pivotally connected to the ends of the sections on the inside just below the tire l5, andthereb hold the sectional tire in place, and a circular rubber cushion is interposed between the inner and outer tires adapted to take the jar of the outer tire.

The felly 18 of the intermediate wheel is located between the fellies-of the side wheels and is provided on its outer face with a tire 19, having a rounded tread and a steel band 20 on its under iace having inwardly-projectingportions 21 located between the spokes, sald tire and band being secured to the felly by bolts 22 passing therethrough and through the ielly, the heads being countersunk in holes 23 of the tire and the ends having nuts. 24 thereon. The projections of the band rest upon curved seats 25, suppbrted on spring-plates 26, mounted between the spokes, one end of each plate having a slot 28 and journals 28 en aging bearings in parallel spokes of the si e wheels and the other end being slidably supported in the slot 28 in the end of the adjacent plate 26. A ratchet,- wheel 29 is' eccentrically secured on an axle 30, mounted between two of the oppositelylocated spokes of the side wheels, and its teeth 31 are engaged by a spring-pawl 32, secured to the hub of one of the side wheels. One end of a spring-band 33 is secured to the axle and the other end projects upwardly and rests on the periphery of the ratchet wheel 29. The lower ends of the radial rods 34 are secured to the spring-band 33 and the other ends support the lower end of a spiral s ring 35, the upper end of which supports t e spring plates 26 beneath tne se'ats 25 thereon.

It will be understood from the construction of this intermediate wheel that when it is 'supporting a load the jar from contact with a trac or other object will be taken up by the spring-plates 26 and springs 35 and that the tension oi thesupporting-springs 35 is regulated by means of the eccentrically-mounted wheel being turned by a handle 36 on its axis to effect the raising or lowering of the end .of

the spring-band 33, and thereby the expansion or co'ntrzwtion ol said band, which in 1 turn expands and contracts the springs 35.

To protect the parts of the wheel from dust, dirt, or water, a circular plate 37 is secured on earlside. To provide means for the easy engagement of the tires of the side l l l edges.

Referring now to the modification shown in Fig. 5, this tire 2-H) only ditlers from the other tires in that on account of being tor a single wheel it is provided with notches 4t) in l each edge. The rounded tread ol" the tire of the intermediate wheel adapts it to run' in the slots or tracks or serve as a flange to hold the wheels on any ordinary T-rail.

It will be understood from the foregoing that on account of the intermediate wheel being yieldingly supported between the side whcelson-the spring-plates 26 and springs 35, by reason of the projecting portions 21 on said intermediate wheel seating in said curved seats 25 on said plates 26, when a vehicle supplied with my wheels is supporting a light load the intermediate tire will support the entire weight and present a narrow tread,

that when supporting av heavy loadthe inter mediate wheel will be forced in so that the side wheels will aid in supporting the load and present a wide tread, and that when the eceentncally-mounted ratchet wheel, a pawl side wheels are running on a T-rail the inter I mediate wheel will Form a flange to engage the side 0] said rail and prevent the wheel slipping oil", thus making it possible for a veroad-tracks and be guided thereby.

i do not herein claim the tire feature, as it pli 'ation hereol'.

vl do not wish to be understood as limiting has been made the subject of a divisional apmyself to the precise details and arrangrements of parts shown and described, but reserve the right to all modifications within the scope of my invention.

i l l i .Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A vehicle-wheel comprising two side wheels, a wheel located between said side wheels and having a band secured to its under face provided with projections, spring plates carried on the spokes of the side Wheels, seats on said plates engaged by the projee tions ol the band, an eceentrieally-inounted ratchet-wheel, a pawl engaging it, a springhand adapted to be expanded and contract-" ed by said ratchet-wheel'and springs supported between said spring-band and springplates, substantially as described.

12. A vehicle-wheel comprising twinsii ie wheels, a wheel located between said side. wheels and having a band secured to its under face provided with projeetions, spring-plates carried on the spokes oi the side wheels and engaged by the projections of the band, an eeeentrieally-inounted ratchet-Wheeha pawl engaging it, a spring-band adapted to be ex panded and contracted by said ratchet-wheel and springs supported between said spring band. and spring-plates, substantially as described.

3. A vehicle-wheel comprising two side wheels, a wheel located between said side wheels and having a band secured to its under Face provided with projections, spring-plates carried on the spokes of the side wheels and engagedbv the projections of the band, an

and yieldable means supported between said hicle supplied with my wheels to ride on railspring-band and spring-plates, substantially as described.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State'of New York, this 18th day of February, A. I). 1905. 

